We went to check out Nicholas Hytner’s revival of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Bridge Theatre almost exactly six years ago, and while the world may have changed substantially since 2019, we’re pleased to report that this production is just as flamboyant and fabulous as it was back then. Yes, it’s still a feel-good immersive party, with half the audience standing in the pit and taking part in the show, the other half seated around the action; yes, there is still a bit of role reversal, resulting in some joyful LGBTQ+ narratives; and yes, it still has a fantastic soundtrack featuring Beyoncé and Dizzee Rascal.
So what’s new? Well, much of the cast, although the brilliant David Moorst has returned as Puck – he’s utterly captivating in the role, an impressive achievement given how strong each performer is. Playing the king and queen roles, we have JJ Feild as Oberon/Theseus and Susannah Fielding as Titania/Hippolyta (both superb) – as mentioned some of the dialogue has been flipped here, which not only puts an exciting, fresh twist on the power dynamic, but also creates a delightfully camp and queer romance between Oberon and Bottom (the hilarious Emmanuel Ekwofo) which is simply a joy to watch.
It probably goes without saying, but: purists be warned, this is far from traditional Shakespeare. Yes, it broadly tells the same story – albeit one that plays around with gender and power dynamics – but much of the dialogue is altered, it’s full of pop music and dancing, and it throws everything and the kitchen sink at the production (think aerial acrobatics, confetti canons, etc). At times it feels more like a party than a play.
If we were to have one very minor issue with the production – and it’s the same one we had last time – it’s that A Midsummer Night’s Dream feels like it takes a little while to really hit its stride. The mix of traditional dialogue and contemporary ad libs, the role reversals of our leads – it takes some time to truly appreciate what’s going on. When everything clicked into place, however, we absolutely loved it.
GAY TIMES gives A Midsummer Night’s Dream – 5/5
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